1:3 — Group heads, precision baskets and extraction
Edition No. 46
1 Fun Thing
Telugu movie RRR created history by winning a Golden Globe for best original song for the musical number “Naatu Naatu”, making it India’s first ever. This song was, in fact, filmed in front of Ukraine president Zelensky’s official residence in 2021, a few months before the war began.
3 Coffee Facts
The group head is the heart of an espresso machine — it is where the portafilter attaches and hot water is forced through the puck of coffee. The evenness of water dispersion and temperature stability at the group head are both of paramount importance to the quality of the espresso.
The 2nd wave of precision baskets is upon us and they aren’t cheap either, starting at ~$200. Companies like WAFO and Weber Workshops have developed espresso baskets with thicker walls, less taper and more holes that go all the way to the edge making them more efficient at extraction.
Grinding coffee finer is one way to increase the extraction of your brew. This increases the surface area of coffee grounds thereby allowing the water to extract the soluble material faster.
Do you feel there is a point of diminishing returns with$200 baskets? It feels like stressor is a money sink hole. How much better/easier to pull is a shot with a $200 basket? I don't have the answer but I feel the question is valid. Thoughts?
Thanks for all your hard work! 🙏